Wellness & Accountability in a Remote Workplace
Balancing Well-being and Results with Actionable Strategies
Hello, fellow leaders,
In the past few years, we've witnessed a significant shift in the workplace. The lines between personal and professional lives have blurred, and work/life balance has become more than just a buzzword - it's the new norm. But as we embrace this people-centric approach, we face a crucial question: Are we still driving results?
A recent survey by Wiley Workplace Intelligence of over 6,000 individuals, including 3,363 people managers, revealed that balancing employee satisfaction and productivity is one of the most significant challenges we face today.
Nearly 60% of young leaders say that balancing employee satisfaction and productivity is a challenge.
The top two challenges that young leaders face in balancing employee satisfaction and productivity are setting clear expectations and providing regular feedback.
Young leaders who are able to balance employee satisfaction and productivity are more likely to report that their teams are meeting or exceeding expectations.
This is a complex issue. On one hand, we want to respect our team members' personal lives and wellness. On the other hand, we need to ensure that the quality of work and deadlines are not compromised. It's a delicate balance, and it's up to us, as leaders, to navigate it effectively.
Creating a culture that values wellness goes beyond traditional health initiatives. It's about fostering an environment where employees' personal and professional lives are harmoniously aligned. Here are some unique and actionable strategies to help you create such a culture:
Align Values & Expectations from Day 0: During the hiring process, ask candidates to describe their perfect work week. Does their vision align with your company culture and pace? Misalignment in work expectations can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction.
Align Goals & Roles Early and Often: Ensure that the short-term prospects of the position align with the individual's personal and professional goals. This alignment can lead to increased job satisfaction and productivity.
Foster Meaningful Relationships: Understand how your team members form and nurture relationships within and outside the company. Encourage team-building activities that foster meaningful connections.
Invest in Your Team: Show your team members that you value them by investing in their growth and development. This could be through learning opportunities, mentorship programs, or providing resources for personal development.
Manage Objectives, Not Daily Activity: Promote autonomy and trust within your team by focusing on managing objectives and outcomes, not daily activities. This approach reduces the stress of micromanagement and promotes a sense of ownership and responsibility among team members.
Remember, a culture of wellness attracts individuals who value their own well-being and are likely to value the well-being of the company as well. As leaders, it's up to us to set the tone and lead by example.
On the other side of the coin, maintaining accountability in a hybrid setting can be a challenge. Here are some actionable strategies to help you:
Consistent & Frequent Check-ins: Establish a routine of regular check-ins with your team members. Use predetermined, high-quality, and objective measures of progress towards defined objectives. These could take the form of Key Results (in OKRs) or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Tools like ClickUp and Trakstar can be useful for tracking OKRs.
Quality Over Quantity: The quality of these check-ins is essential. They shouldn’t be discussions that start with questions like: “So tell me how things are going” or “Give me the update.” They should have a predictable agenda that orients around evaluating new progress, identifying current and potential blockers, and aligning on subsequent action items. There are a ton of templates available online, Fellow is a tool we use that provides templates and centralizes meeting agendas.
Demo Days & Screen Sharing: Have participants share their screen and walk through the progress. This can be a review of the Product Management Board, the KPI Dashboard, and when appropriate a review of the deliverable. This is not just a conversation, it's show-and-tell time. Visualizing progress helps to ensure that nothing gets lost in translation and that everyone is on the same page. Tools like Datapine and Scoro can be useful for visualizing KPIs.
Plan Ahead: If a team member is underperforming, have them map out what the next few months look like. This can help identify potential roadblocks and create a plan to overcome them. This approach also discourages short-term or temporary actions that might achieve the metrics in the near-term but aren't strategically optimal over the long-term. It's important to zoom out and consider the bigger picture.
Invest in Accountability Tools: This means you need to invest time and often some money in creating and managing the tools that enable bi-directional and omnipresent accountability. You want to accelerate the path to the truth, relying on data that everyone can trust and depend on, and you don’t want your direct reports spending all their time tracking down data every time they have to report on it.
Remember, accountability and well-being are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can complement each other beautifully when managed well. Let's take this opportunity to reflect on how we can better support our teams' well-being while also driving consistent results.
As leaders, we have the tools to succeed. Let's continue to evolve with the changing world of work, prioritizing both wellness and results. After all, strong interpersonal skills and a people-centric approach are the keys to success in today's workplace.
One percent better every day,
Ev-